You can become anyone’s Crown Princess—just not Prince Yi.

These resounding words struck Ji Muqing one by one.

Her eyes froze, and she stood rooted to the spot for a long time.

“Why?”

Why? On what grounds?

If she became Princess Yi, she would be mother to the nation, and the Ji family would therefore be glorious, gaining both fame and profit.

Yet this stubborn Ji Li—what on earth was he thinking?

Ji Li snorted heavily, wrenching his caught wrist free from Ji Huan’s grasp.

He rebuked with one sentence: “In any case, it simply won’t do.”

His attitude was extremely firm.

Not open to dispute.

Ji Muqing’s eyes were bloodshot. “My marriage is not for you to decide. As long as Consort Xiao agrees and His Majesty issues the decree, I will be Princess Yi. Even Father cannot obstruct this—unless you want our entire family to defy the imperial decree and be executed.”

“You…”

“In any case, I’m determined to be Princess Yi.”

“Do you even know what you’re saying?”

“Of course I know. In any case, no matter how you try to obstruct me, it’s useless. If Father were here today, he absolutely wouldn’t block me like you’re doing.”

Indeed, what kind of person was Ji Shuhan?

A millennia-old opportunist!

Unscrupulous in achieving his goals—as long as his family produced an Empress, even if he went down to the underworld, he could hold his head high with pride.

Ji Li’s eyes blazed with intense flames that gradually grew larger, glaring fiercely at Ji Muqing.

Veins bulged on his forehead. “Ji Muqing, you listen well—even if Father were here today, it would be useless. You’d better behave and stay in the manor without going anywhere. Otherwise, I’ll immediately order someone to send you back to Jinjiang.”

“You wouldn’t dare!”

The two siblings confronted each other.

They were indeed biological siblings—their tempers exactly alike. Neither would yield, both as stubborn as oxen.

Ji Huan on the side appeared somewhat awkward, though in this matter, he completely sided with Ji Li.

He quickly stepped forward to mediate.

“Enough, you two stop arguing.” He said to Ji Muqing, “Elder Brother is doing this for your own good.”

Haha!

Ji Muqing laughed coldly. “For my own good? If it was truly for my own good, you wouldn’t prevent me from marrying Prince Yi.”

Having thrown out these words, she ran off.

Behind her, Ji Li clenched his fists in anger.

By rights, if Ji Muqing married Jing Yi and became the nation’s mother in the future, the Ji family would be glorified—it was a good thing that countless people would envy.

But—

Ji Li had other thoughts.

His anger hadn’t subsided, his face flushed red.

Ji Huan, who had been playing the gentle role all along, stepped forward. “Elder Brother, don’t be so angry.”

How could he not be angry?

“What kind of person Prince Yi is—no one knows better than us. We’ve always been people on the side of the First Prince. Now the First Prince is dead, and Prince Yi wants to marry Muqing—it’s nothing more than wanting to secure our allegiance to help him smoothly ascend to the throne. But once he gains power, you and I will be like grass and weeds, casually discarded by him.”

The Minister of War was indeed not appointed for nothing.

He thought more than others and saw more clearly than others.

Although Ji Huan was a rough fellow, he wasn’t stupid either. He understood the deep meaning in this.

“Elder Brother, what you’re saying—Muqing won’t understand. Moreover, now it’s Consort Xiao who has brought it up. Once His Majesty agrees, you and I can only obey. Otherwise, would you truly risk our entire family’s lives? Besides, His Majesty hasn’t yet decreed the marriage—everything is uncertain.”

Ji Li said, “If we wait until His Majesty decrees the marriage, it will be too late. No, I must go to the palace now.”

He had just stepped forward when Ji Huan stopped him.

“Elder Brother, you usually advise me not to be too impulsive—how come you can’t control yourself now? If you go to His Majesty now, and if His Majesty originally didn’t agree, but because of what you say, you instead stir up some trouble.”

These words immediately awakened him.

He suppressed his impulsive nature and carefully deliberated. “You’re right. I indeed shouldn’t go to His Majesty at this time.”

“Just wait patiently.” Ji Huan analyzed. “Actually, what we’re thinking is just the worst-case scenario. What kind of person Prince Yi is—you and I both know. Since we know, naturally we won’t fall for his tricks.”

“What you say is correct, but you and I still need to prepare in advance, lest we… become a chess piece in his hands.”

“Understood.”

Ji Li’s heart weighed a thousand pounds. He was always apprehensive—that feeling he hadn’t experienced in a very long time.

He exhaled deeply, his gaze fixed outside, his expression grave.

On the other side, Ji Muqing ran crying back to her own courtyard. As soon as she entered, she began smashing things with a clatter.

Everything in the room that could be smashed was almost entirely smashed by her.

So the maid Cailan had also grown accustomed to such strange behavior.

She just stood silently to the side, making no sound, not approaching—lest she bring trouble upon herself.

Only after Ji Muqing had smashed enough and grown tired did she finally stop.

“Cailan!” she shouted loudly.

“This servant is here.” Cailan walked over trembling, her face full of fear.

“Tell me, was it you who gossiped and secretly went to Elder Brother to say something?”

“Ah? This servant did not.”

“Still claiming you didn’t? If you hadn’t talked nonsense about something, why would Elder Brother suddenly treat me this way?”

“This… servant doesn’t know.”

What the hell would she know!

The things that happened during those days of the Crown Prince selection—how could she possibly know? If she knew, her tongue would have been cut out long ago. How would she still have her life here?

But Ji Muqing was an extremely sensitive person who always felt someone was trying to harm her.

Having been scolded by Ji Li, she naturally vented all her anger on the maid.

She grabbed a fistful of Cailan’s hair. “You wretched girl, you must have talked nonsense in front of Elder Brother. Watch me teach you a good lesson today.”

Slap!

A palm struck Cailan’s face.

A handprint instantly appeared on Cailan’s face.

“That’s for talking nonsense!”

Slap—another palm strike.

Cailan didn’t dare dodge, just stood there allowing her to hit.

After more than ten slaps, her face was red and swollen, the corner of her mouth beaten to a pulp, bleeding profusely.

Cailan knelt on the ground crying without end.

Even if maids in the courtyard saw or heard, they didn’t dare come to persuade her. Each one played deaf and dumb, lest they become the next Cailan.

“Get out!”

Ji Muqing kicked her in the chest.

Cailan’s upper body prostrated on the ground as she cried while crawling outside.

“Wretched girl, if you dare gossip again, I’ll cut out your tongue directly and see if you dare stir up trouble.”

She covered her palm that had grown somewhat numb from hitting, watching viciously as Cailan crawled out.

But her anger still hadn’t subsided. In the room, she began smashing things again.

Just hearing the sound of things shattering on the ground was already enough to make one’s hair stand on end.

Naturally, no one dared approach that room.